'We can beat anyone now': Ashland hockey's Division 4 run powered by good energy
FRAMINGHAM - Ashland basked in its good energy on a brisk March ferry ride to Martha's Vineyard.
The No. 24 Clockers earned the cruise after upsetting familiar Tri-Valley League foe No. 9 Medway in the Division 4 boys hockey opening round. First-year coach Paul Cadenhead let his team relax and hang out on the boat. It helped put the game, albeit an important Sweet 16 matchup, in context.
"You could kind of tell what energy was and that we all believed and we knew we could win this game," Ashland senior Jack Grimes. "The seeds didn't matter."
The Clockers took out No. 8 Martha's Vineyard, 5-3, on their home island to reach the quarterfinals for just the third time in program history. They don't plan on stopping, even with No. 1 Winthrop next up at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Stoneham Arena.
Ashland is the highest remaining seed across all six MIAA hockey tournaments (four boys, two girls). Only No. 38 Middleborough in the Division 2 boys bracket, No. 27 Newburyport (Division 3 girls basketball) and No. 25 Hampshire Regional (Division 4 girls basketball) remain with higher seeds.
"The seedings are just a number," Ashland senior Dean Reap said. "We know we can beat anyone now."
Seeds of success
For most of the season, everyone beat the Clockers. Ashland went 4-11-3 in the regular season and lost eight of those games by multiple goals. That's life in the TVL facing the likes of Dover-Sherborn (the No. 5 seed opener in Wednesday's doubleheader against No. 4 Sandwich at 5 p.m.), Hopkinton and Medfield (in the D3 Elite 8) on a nightly basis.
"We have a special schedule. It doesn't set us up for much success in the regular season, but I think it's a good roadmap for the playoffs," Cadenhead said. "While we may not match up well against those teams, they're very well-coached teams and very talented teams, it's a whole different ballgame playing Division 4 hockey, and I think we do match up against those teams very well. From what I've seen, I think this team can with anyone in that division when they play their game."
The Clockers also needed to discover their game under Cadenhead, who took over for Mike Roman after his 15-year run and over 100 wins. Cadenhead grew up in Connecticut and played club hockey at UConn. He started coaching in Lexington and also spent time on the bench in Franklin. The newly hired business teacher at Ashland swore off coaching hockey at his new school because of the time commitment. He wanted his personal life back. Then the asking began.
Nearly 20 people petitioned him to coach the Clockers, and he responded "no" every time.
"I was dead set on never coaching hockey again," Cadenhead said.
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Finally he broke and considered it. Cadenhead watched the Clockers play in the fall and noticed their talent and potential.
"I saw this as a team that could do some damage when March comes around," Cadenhead said. "Once everything finally clicks."
Like clockwork
It took until March - or at least the eve of it - for them to click. Ashland lost its last two games of the regular season and slotted into the No. 24 seed largely on its strength of schedule. Once the playoffs began and a loss meant the end of the season, the Clockers played with the intensity Cadenhead demands.
"We all bought in. We got the whole team on board to do this. We knew we had a special group, we knew we could beat some good teams," Reap said. "Once we beat Medway, we knew we could keep going."
Like any upset-minded squad, Ashland has relied on its goalie Shane Moriarty. He shut out Medway and did enough to leave Martha's VIneyard with a victory.
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"Lately he's found his self confidence, which has helped him recognize his potential and perform like he has," Cadenhead said. "They say you can ride a hot goalie a long distance, and we're hoping we can do that with the way Shane has been playing."
Cadenhead hasn't talked to the players much about the historical significance of what they're achieving. It's easier to mention afterward lest they think too much or look down to find they're standing on air.
"It's been amazing doing something that this actually a team hasn't done in a long time," Grimes said. "It's pretty special, especially our senior year to get this done."
The team that shouldn't be here led by the coach that didn't want to found each other in time. Now it's just a matter of how long the charge lasts.
Contact Kyle Grabowski at kgrabowski@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @kylegrbwsk.
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Ashland hockey found itself just in time to make a D4 quarterfinal run
